As a plastic surgeon for 30 years, James Apesos had some pretty nice laurels to rest on as he neared retirement. But Apesos felt another pull: a childhood dream of sirens, red trucks and saving lives.

"I'm one of those children that chased fire engines, liked fire engines," he said. "I liked the equipment, I like the helmets, I like the gear."

A patient who was a firefighter encouraged him to check out the station's volunteer program once he stepped down as head of his department.

In his late 50s, Apesos was skeptical, but the fire department welcomed him, and after tough training that included climbing into windows, pulling hoses and rappelling out of buildings, he was on the job at nights.